Valley Democrats Say No to Secession Plan

The Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley on Friday came out strongly against the Valley secession plan and a large municipal union said it would withhold support from any candidates who seek office in a breakup election.

The Valley party organization announced its position a day after state Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Sylmar) said he is exploring a run for mayor of a Valley city, providing the secession proposal makes the November ballot.

Alarcon’s move also prompted Los Angeles’ largest municipal labor union to threaten any candidates on the secession ballot with a loss of support in that election and future ones. The Service Employees International Union has long opposed secession.

“Any candidate who runs for office in a city that does not yet exist, this local will consider them forever not to be our friend,” said Julie Butcher, head of the union’s 8,500-member Local 347, which contends that secession could lead to job losses.

Jeff Daar, who heads the Valley’s Democratic organization, said his group would not make a secession candidacy a litmus test for future support. But he said would-be candidates who are neutral on secession itself, as Alarcon says he is, should not run.

“Running for office in the proposed Valley city is supporting the breakup of the City of Los Angeles,” said Daar, who is also a board member of the anti-secession group One Los Angeles. “Anyone that is either neutral or opposed to secession should not run for mayor or city council of the proposed Valley city.”

Javier Flores, vice president for the Mexican American Political Assn., which opposes secession, said Friday that his group also was disheartened with Alarcon’s actions.

“We think that the timing was wrong and wished he would have waited a bit,” Flores said. “By asking people to support his candidacy, his run for Valley mayor will inadvertently cause Latinos to support secession.”

Alarcon said his candidacy would ensure Latinos had a voice in the campaign. He also said he has been an ally of Local 347 his whole political career and had relatives in the union.

“I realize my friends in labor are very opposed to secession, but I didn’t create this situation,” Alarcon said. “I would feel horrible if Valley secession succeeded and I had not offered my candidacy.

“Not only could the Valley secede, but you could end up with someone with no interest [in] civil rights and labor” as mayor.

The Local Agency Formation Commission is set to decide next month whether to place secession questions for the Valley, Hollywood and the harbor area on the November ballot. The Valley Democratic Party and the union also oppose the Hollywood and harbor measures.

A Valley secession election would include races for mayor and 14 city council seats.

Alarcon is the first prospective candidate for a Valley election. He is also seeking reelection to the Senate in November. If secession passes and he wins both the mayoral race and his Senate race, Alarcon said he would resign from the Senate.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, Vince Roncone, said it would endorse secession candidates.

“If secession qualifies for the ballot, I am sure that many highly qualified Democrats will seek election to the new city council,” he said. “And, as always, we will conduct a thorough endorsement process.”